1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to car seats, and specifically, harness systems for infant and child safety seats.
2. Background
Infant and child car seats have a 5 point safety harness system, with a belt over each shoulder that connects to a center buckle so that the harness system contacts the child at the shoulders, hips and groin. A harness chest clip is also typically used which keeps the straps in the correct position over the torso of the child.
To properly buckle a child into a child car seat, the child must be placed into the car seat and the arms of the child must go under the straps. The center buckle must also be accessible so that the straps can be buckled into the center buckle. When placing a child or an infant into a car seat the straps are often in the wrong location and the center buckle is under the child after they are placed in the child car seat. To properly buckle the seat one must often pull the straps from under the back of the child, and reach under the child to find the center buckle. This process can be uncomfortable for the child, and may create a negative experience for the child associated with using a car seat. If the child is sleeping before they are placed into the child car seat, the process of reaching behind and under the child, and manipulating the child's body to find the buckles is likely to disturb and wake-up the child.